Everyone: I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news? #PassittoBulis is trending right now. Hooray! The bad news? It’s trending because Anthony Stewart blames us for Mike Duco’s Twitter account, as the above tweet indicates. He’s been slagging us all morning. Example: I’d rather move to the ‘Peg than #PassittoBulis. Joke’s on him, though. If he ever gets traded to this blog, we’re gonna run him out of town.

Yes, Mike Duco has deleted his Twitter account, and whether it’s by choice or by orders from a higher power — say, the organization to whom he was recently traded and with whom he recently signed a one-year, two-way contract — it happened as a direct result of the post we made on Sunday night. By now, you’ve probably heard all about it, especially since it turned into a major controversy. How major? Eventually, Mike Duco publicly apologized for his tweets. Twice.

Ladies and gentlemen: the offseason.

Putting the clamps to Mike Duco was never the intention, although, in hindsight, I should have seen this coming. It’s only been a month since Canucks fans proved their penchant for overreacting and it was an especially slow news weekend. I presented Mike Duco’s Canuck-mocking tweets as little more than an amusing irony, because that’s how I read them when I found them. Many Canuck fans, on the other hand, jittery and bored as ever, took them as a personal affront. The second coming of Steve Francis. And, as they often do, they took to flaming Duco like Theo Fleury until he had to address the issue.

Then came his defenders, who blamed me for starting this whirlwind of bad press, even though it would have been irresponsible to ignore what was clearly a story, especially judging by the reaction. This was maybe the first instance of a hockey player on Twitter being traded to a team he just ripped. As a hockey blogger always on the lookout for alternative angles, this mattered. Still, some called me an ambush journalist (erroneous on both charges). Some questioned my writing skills (bite your tongue, I’m great). Some called me all manner of colourful names (although none colour-related, proving epithet-spewers clearly aren’t into research).

Then came the third party, who, hilariously, blamed Mike Gillis for failing to do his due diligence and research Duco before acquiring him, a claim that is patently ridiculous. Whose job, exactly, would it be to research a player’s social media history, anyway? The scouts? Sure, his breakout pass is good, but his Twitter needs work. If not them, then will the Canucks be opening a new position? If so, I probably deserve an interview, don’t you think? I’m the truffle hog of the Twitterverse.

Anyway. This whole issue is stupid. Mike Duco should never have had to apologize, let alone delete his Twitter account. Had he come out and said something to the effect of, Didn’t used to be a fan of the Canucks, but now I’ll defend the Sedins & Luongo against anyone who says what I said, he would have crushed the whole issue.

The Twitter angle gives this a new twist, but this is an old story: a guy who didn’t like an organization now works for that organization, and he has to reverse a few opinions. It’s common and it’s easy. My Dad worked for Canadian Airlines during their public battle with Air Canada. You probably don’t follow your Canadian aviation history like I did, but Canadian Airlines lost that battle and went bankrupt. Bought out by Air Canada, a number of disgruntled former CA pilots — many of whom had said some pretty nasty things about Air Canada — were forced to eat their words and *gasp* accept a paycheque by the enemy. They did it happily, because it meant they kept getting to do what they loved doing for a living.

When a career is on the line, people swallow antipathy pretty quickly. Duco, who grew up in Toronto and, like most Easterners, probably never thought too highly of the Canucks, has already done the same. I’m sure that, once the Canucks gave him the richest contract of his professional career, he became an avid supporter of the entire organization. Now if he rips the Sedins or Luongo, I might have an adverse reaction. Anything that happened before he was in the Canucks’ employ? I couldn’t care less. Nobody should. It didn’t and doesn’t matter.

Everyone: next time, please, just give a hearty chuckle and move on.

And #bringbackMikeDuco. He’s done nothing wrong, we could use a few Canucks on Twitter, and this much bad press around the social media site is definitely not helping our campaign to get Kevin Bieksa on it.

36 comments

Timmy Wong

July 15, 2011

“Anything that happened before he was in the Canucks’ employ? I couldn’t care less. Nobody should. It didn’t matter. Next time, please, just give a hearty chuckle and move on.”

Thank you! I can’t believe some people are so thick-headed they can’t see past this and the fact that Duco was NOT a member of the Canucks’ org when he made those comments, thus giving him the privilege to say these things via social media.

Now, if Hodgson or someone else within the franchise said it, that’d open up a new can of worms…and a good hashtag (#CodyHodgsonControveries)

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Chicky

July 15, 2011

Geez, are people so thick as to forget that when you’re a pro hockey player that here today does not mean here tomorrow? Just because they’re our Canucks players now, doesn’t mean they will be for the remainder of their careers. Players move about, Glasser, Erhoff ring any bells? I guarantee there’s been players on our roster who would’ve spit nails over the initial prospect of playing for the organization. And then got over it. Like big people do.

It’s HOCKEY, though sacred I know. This guy, though lacking in the spelling and gramatically correct arena, is a fan of the job he gets paid to do. I suspect he’s learned his lesson on what is said on the internet is public, and is not private by any means.

Ripping him a new one because he’s watching the SCP from his lounger and making comments is just lame. Sorry to hear that he shut his account down because some “fans” thought it was appropriate to reef on him on his twitter. We should be happy that our team was the one playing in the finals for him to lay into, rather than some other team.

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Harrison Mooney

July 15, 2011

“We should be happy that our team was the one playing in the finals for him to lay into, rather than some other team.”

This.

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Parker

July 15, 2011

Thanks Harrison. I personally think that it’s ridiculous that this even needed to be written, but many people clearly have no sense of humour, and need to be guided appropriately.

As with all new Canuck players, we really do need to see what they do IN a Canuck uniform before passing judgment. Both on AND off the ice. Anyone remember when we signed Lapierre and people started talking about what a liability he was for lack of discipline, and that he would potentially be a problem in the locker room? Well, guess who was the first RFA re-signed!

So let’s wait until traiing camp and see what Duco brings to the table before we run him out of town. I mean, it’s not like we signed Mark Messier or something… oh wait… we already did that in 97.

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Andrew

July 15, 2011

Truffle hug? Or Hog? To many Kiss Huggings jokes my man!

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Harrison Mooney

July 15, 2011

Hahaha, truffle hug. Sounds like something you’d get in the alley behind a French restaurant. Fixed.

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PetriSkriko

July 15, 2011

I think the real story here is PITB coming to grips with its growing influence. People are starting to pay attention!

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JayBee

July 15, 2011

More and more, the over-the-top fringe element of Canuck fans are beginning to look a lot like the folks in TO who live/breathe/eat/sleep Leafs and have a precarious at best grasp on reality. You know the ones, they call the Canucks losers for having won 15 playoff games while their favorite team hit the links 30 minutes after playing game 82.

For the 6th year in a row.

And it may get worse, once the weekend is over and they return from multiple viewings of the last Harry Potter movie.

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Cam Charron

July 15, 2011

What are the odds that, as a squeaky-voiced teenager in high-school, Ryan Kesler frequently laughed with his friends about the horrible Vancouver Canucks team they’d see on occasion, that typically got trounced by the home-town Red Wings?

Milan Lucic grew up a die-hard Canuck fan. Didn’t stop him from giving his all in the Finals.

#bringbackmikeduco and let’s put this all to bed as we cheer on the #mikeduco30goalseason

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kayray

July 15, 2011

What is with all these NHL (barely) bottom depth players and their overly zealous stance on everything? Of course everyone has their own opinions, it’s a God given right after all but when you start tweeting akin to a 12 year old a la Anthony Stewart then I start to doubt your sense of professionalism. Will continuously tagging @passittobulis bring Mike Duco back? Who knows? If the Canucks management had anything to do with it, it’s safe to say that they have enough faith in Duco to to revamp his style and overall focus much like how our own players changed this season. And it’s worked rather well for us hasn’t it? Yes, I agree that it’s complete irony that Duco was traded into the very organization he slagged but our hockey club has the ability to prove players like Duco wrong…that’s if you make the team. Do I agree with Duco’s anti-Canucks tweets? No. Should people give Duco the benefit of the doubt? Yes, why not? He’s in our system now right? My point is that players on twitter should remember that they are athletes and should retain a sense of professionalism. And one last thing, the players on twitter going keyboard happy? They’re players that Burrows would have said, “have a nice summer” to on the ice. Goes to show where their…eccentric tweets come from. They’ve had quite an early summer after all.

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Chris

July 15, 2011

I would love, LOVE to see Anthony Stewart get traded to the Jets. NHL Twittergate part 2 anyone?

Anyways, talk about much ado about nothing. The story was funny, good for a chuckle, and then it’s time to get over it. If anything, I think if Duco does suit up for the Canucks he should get a hearty cheer and be an early candidate to be a fan favourite. It would make for such a hilariously ironic storyline.

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J21

July 15, 2011

Anthony Stewart is making himself look pretty stupid right now. In addition to the somewhat adolescent nature of his tweets, he seems to miss the fact that all you guys did was find the stuff that Duco had coughed out, nothing more. Not only is PITB not responsible for Duco being called out by others for his mouthing off (I think fairly in most cases — these are technically his peers and it makes him look like a whiny little fanboy), but PITB directly stated it was no big deal and was highlighting it because it was rather funny and a pretty clear case of a guy getting caught with his pants down.

You even posted this fact good-naturedly to his Twitter, but it seems he was too dunderheaded to get it. Talk about shooting the messenger.

For the record, Canuck draft pick Alex Grenier was tweeting pro-Canucks stuff during the finals, though the Bruins probably have a lot to do with that.

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Harrison Mooney

July 15, 2011

I’m choosing to interpret Stewart’s run of hilarious anti-PITB tweets today as a bit tongue-in-cheek. He retweeted one of our tweets, too, so clearly he doesn’t have a total hate-on for us. I’m gonna try to get a quote from him for the compilation of his tweets I’ve got planned for later.

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kim r

July 15, 2011

Well said. In hockey one never knows where one will end up, so best to be diplomatic and professional towards co-players or, well, something like this will happen.

Also, how is it PITB’s fault that they presented what was out there to anyone that looked? Immature to say the least.

I don’t think any real fan cares about the tweets, only how Duco reacts when he’s on the ice with someone harassing one of the Sedins. One good tilt and all will be forgiven.

Congrats to PITB on the exposure, though. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

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HockeyFoxx

July 15, 2011

#bringbackMikeDuco indeed … as a longtime friend of Mike’s, I always enjoyed reading his tweets (as I do with most of my other friends) and now he’s gone because of a bunch of ridiculous over-zealous fans sending him nasty messages? Mike’s a nice guy (and not a “d-bag a-hole” as one person called him) and really did not deserve the treatment he got. When he told me on Tuesday night everyone on twitter hated him, I couldn’t believe it. So what if he didn’t like the Canucks when he didn’t play there … and for the record, plenty of Torontonians WERE cheering for Vancouver, just as plenty were cheering for Boston. I was born and raised in Toronto, and I’m an Oilers fan, and while cheering for the Canucks hurt a little, I did it anyway. (And by the way, we don’t say Lord Jesus T’underin’ B’y .. or live near the Atlantic Ocean, or own fishing boats … we’re not on the East Coast … =\ ) I hope Mike does come back I’m sure he will get a friendly welcome when he arrives at camp this fall when this has all blown over.

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Harrison Mooney

July 15, 2011

Man. I still can’t believe this became a thing that needed to blow over. Tell him it’s not our fault and that, if he makes the team, we fully expect him to take up Tanner’s Scrabble mantle.

J21

July 15, 2011

He called you “Easterners,” not “East Coasters”. Everyone except people from Toronto agree that Toronto is in the east, because it most assuredly is. What with being over on the right side of the map, and the Eastern time zone and all.

I’m in Ottawa, and this is hella east, even if it’s not on the coast either.

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kim r

July 15, 2011

Erf. Please tell him that not everyone hates him (he has at least one curious Canucks fan) and he will only be judged by what he brings on the ice by this one fan.

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poopnoodle

July 15, 2011

Just wondering if you will do a write-up on how 1 month after the Canuck fans rioted no one has been charged yet

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vancityt

July 15, 2011

Seriously? How asinine.

FTR, I read PITB because I like knowing not all hockey fans are doofuses, but then I read something like this going down, and have to wonder… Are those idiots ripping on Duco the same people who call everyone ‘classless’ willy-nilly when someone doesn’t think their way (without recognizing the irony)?

It is seriously becoming hard to be a fan–not because of the team but because some people can’t hold their liquor or their tongues, much less recognize tongue-in-cheek humour. Will Canucks fans become known as humourless idiots? I’m rather embarrassed by that small contingent. But I’m glad there’s PITB to retreat to.

I hate to think that the Canucks management is going to play cop like this because of a relatively few fans who are just louder, not representative, nor ‘prouder’ than the majority.

(BTW, I’m currently watching a bit on TV about how neuroscientists are researching the correlation between humour/getting a joke and intelligence. Fitting.)

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John in Marpole

July 16, 2011

I truly wish there was a ‘Multiple Like’ button available for your post. Well said.

I’ve come to the comclusion that outside of PITB and -most times- that other blog, the vast majority of self-proclaimed fans have very low hockey IQs and a burning desire to prove that with their blog comment posts.

For real mind-numbing ignorance nothing beats a Leafs thread over on the “National Newspaper’ site. Jut don’t read with a mouthful of beverage or a cat in your lap. You’ll hurt yourself if you do.

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Brosef Stalin

July 15, 2011

You guys didn’t make “the clamps” a link to a Futurama clip? I’m aghast at the lack of hard-hitting pop-culture references in this article…

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Harrison Mooney

July 15, 2011

Hahaha, I totally thought about it, but the computer I was writing on was too slow for Youtube (seriously). Now that I’m home, however, I have made the necessary amendment.

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Canuckles

July 15, 2011

Canucks fans overreact?

lolwut?

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Mel

July 16, 2011

While I don’t disagree with how overblown this issue is, I can’t help but notice that nobody in this matter has the confidence to stand by their words. Mike Duco didn’t need to delete his twitter account, he just needed to apologize and start tweeting more positively or better still deflect the comments with humour. He’s already way more famous than most of the prospects he’ll be competing with thanks to this.

As for PITB, who I usually admire greatly, don’t deny that you have influence in the social media world and keep apologizing. As you noted, you’re just the messenger, and you don’t need to kiss up to Anthony Stewart or Mike Duco. If in the course of writing the truth, you offend people, so be it.

Words do matter, and that’s why I enjoy your blog so much.

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Harrison Mooney

July 16, 2011

That’s a good point, Mel. On my end, I can explain my hesitance to stand by what I said: I didn’t really say anything. This wasn’t an op-ed piece, it was basically just a “look what I found” piece. The fact that people somehow took it as a polemic or a bit of demagoguery is baffling to me. I’m more than willing to offend if I feel people have got it wrong (such as the bias piece or the Thrashers article from last fall), but the fact that I’ve gotten more backlash over this than anything else I’ve written for the blog is a bit strange.

Still, it’s a good point you’re making. Daniel and I are only just now coming to grips with the novel influence we suddenly have. At first it was neat. Now it’s sort of daunting. Which is neat. And daunting.

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Mel

July 16, 2011

Use the power wisely, Harrison!

It’s interesting that the same thing happened to both you and Duco. He was probably tweeting away with only his friends and a few fans following, and then he got thrust into a hockey market where strangers care what he’s thinking. Too bad he didn’t remember to delete those anti-Canuck tweets before you saw them. And your blog, which was originally favoured only by thoughtful and poetic Canuck fans, is now blasting into the crazed Puck Daddy universe where the audience is not so pro-Canuck.

As your mom always warned: you never know who will be reading your internet posts.

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The Bookie

July 16, 2011

I’m pretty sure I knew about the internet before my mom.

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Mel

July 16, 2011

Oh yeah, my mom told me about wearing clean underwear in case I was hit by a bus. I must have learnt the internet stuff on the street.

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Daniel Wagner

July 17, 2011

I’m pretty sure my mom can still barely use the internet. My dad, on the other hand, has become adept at internetting. It’s frightening, actually.

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John in Marpole

July 18, 2011

My Mom had the same advice regarding clean underwear and accidents. Guess neither of them know that should that happen, nobody would know if your underwear was clean prior to being hit, because it sure wouldn’t be afterwards.And clean underwear would be the least of your concerns at that time.

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HockeyFoxx

July 17, 2011

Mel, from my perspective, I think you are exactly right. Before Mike got traded to Van, he had just over 700 followers … and I don’t think any of us cared that he tweeted anything during the playoffs (well okay, I was a little aghast that he was cheering for Boston instead of the Canucks haha) And yes, aforementioned blogger who “stole” this story and wrote some negative things (ie: Mike is an “AHL plug”) was definitely fuel for the fire. =\ Anthony says he is going to get Mike back .. he (AStew) gets home from his trip tomorrow, maybe he can work some magic. #BringBackMikeDuco

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Bill Barilko

July 16, 2011

Gillis = illuminati.

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James

July 17, 2011

I hate the summer, this one keeps us inside and off the bikes, or greens, or whatever we do, hoping now to get a genuine Hockey fix. Like many of us Nuckers, the response to Duco was loud and proud, gotta stick up for your team, even though he is half right about what he tweeted.
The jokeable irony of it all is what Mike Gillis was thinking when he signed him? This kid is not Ripper, and does not have the hands that Horddy does, so in my opinion, and have many, what a waste of dough! I think it was our hope that we would have spent wiser money to bolster the areas that killed us in the Boston series. Still suffering from 2 black eyes, playoffs, and the riot, and now dealing with the anxiety that we have little to no chance to go to the finals in 2012. The only upside to all of this is I will have more money in my pocket when I raise the towel and not go to games. However; will be at the first game that Duco plays, that is if he makes the team, and this is very unlikely.
If we don’t get some grit to protect our stars, well; we all know the answer to that!

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